Icarus Burning
by Jeaniexyz
Summary: Like moths to a flame, Emma and Hook can't stay away from one another. AU after 2x09.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So I'm going to try to make this my first multi-chapter fic but I make no promises! I can be a bit of a flake and lose interest quickly. There are some things I've changed here from 2x10 onwards like no one knows Emma has magic besides Snow with the heart thing but that's all she knows. Emma's magic being a secret is a plot point for later. I also plan to use some random bits and parts from my one-shots here.

Now onwards to the story.

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"Put the gun away Hook!"

He spared her a quick glance before refocusing on his target. "Hey beautiful. Nice of you to join us but this is a party of three. You and I can have our own private party later."

Emma rolled her eyes. Leave it to Hook to throw around innuendos in the middle of a life and death situation. She had a tiny urge to laugh at his sheer audacity and insanity but quelled it. The last thing he needed was any encouragement. Instead she turned to Gold and eyed the magical fireball thingy in his hands. Damn magic and Fairytale folks. All she wanted was a hot bath and a whole lot of liquor. Was that too much to ask for?

"Gold, put your...great balls of fire crap away."

He didn't even bother to look at her. "Now Sheriff you know I can't do that. This needs to end now."

Yep she didn't think either of these fools would listen to reason. She looked at Hook with his gun pointed at Belle and Gold with his magic and briefly wondered which would travel faster, a bullet or fireball? Definitely an impasse.

Sighing heavily she reached into her double holster, drew out both guns and aimed one at Hook and the other at Gold. "Alright if that's the way you 2 mofos want to play it. Drop your weapons now or I will shoot you both."

And that's the scene Snow and Charming came upon. A weird square of Belle, Hook, Gold and their daughter facing off. Only Belle was unarmed and looked confused and frightened. "Emma, what is going on here?" her mother asked.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw both Gold and Hook give the slightest twitch with their eyes and knew the game of chicken was over. Dropping her guns she took a running leap towards Hook and managed to knock him out of the way just in time. Or maybe not. She felt a searing pain rip through her upper arm and collapsed back on top of Hook. Damn, round 1 to the fireball.

In the midst of all the chaos Charming had managed to pull Belle out of harm's way and Snow had leaped on Gold when she saw he was gearing up for another go. "You will not fire at my daughter" she yelled.

"Then she should learn to know when to stay out of my way!" Gold snapped back.

Belle ran to him and pleaded with him, "Don't, David just saved my life. You're better than this."

Hook regained his equilibrium and smelt the sweet metallic tang of blood in the air. Sure enough when he gently touched Emma's arm, his fingers came away wet with her blood. Emma groaned and with some effort lifted her head to look down into his face. "I swear Hook if you make one joke about me being on top of you, I will kill you."

"You're bleeding."

She cocked her head in amusement, "And you're always a gentleman? Funny how I always get hurt around you. My own personal kryptonite."

Still cradling her, he shifted so he could stand and then pulled her gently up.  
Gold finally under control somewhat, Snow looked over to her daughter and saw the blood stain on Emma's jacket sleeve. "Emma you're hurt!"

Running over she made to shove Hook out of the way but Hook grabbed ahold of Emma's waist and shuffled a few steps back.

"Let go of my daughter!"

"Let go of me Hook!" Emma demanded quietly. She didn't want to incite her parents more than they already were. The last thing she needed was her parents adding to the already volatile situation.

"No. You're hurt because of me and I don't like owing a debt. I'm taking you back to my ship to patch you up."

He bent down to whisper in her ears, "And should you desire my love, I'll be more than happy to play doctor and patient with you."

Emma glared at him. Spying Gold smirking in the background and her parents fierce expression Emma did the one thing she never thought she would do, play the damsel in distress. Giving an exaggerated moan of pain she went limp in Hook's arms. He swept her up in his arms and cradled her against his chest. Charming drew his gun and pointed it at Hook. "Give us back our daughter! You have no reason to harm her."

"Fool. I'm not planning on anything of the sort, no matter how infuriating she is. I'm taking her back to my ship to deal with her wound."

"We can take care of our daughter ourselves! I don't need a rat like you anywhere near her."

Hook smirked. "That's Captain to you. And tough, we can stand here all day while your daughter is bleeding or you can let me take her back to my ship which is a lot closer than the town center."

Charming moved threateningly towards him but Snow reached out to stop him. "You send her back in 1 hour or I will come after you myself. And Hook, by the time I'm done with you there won't be anything leftover for Rumpelstiltskin."  
Gold for his part surveyed all the going ons with interest. Wheels were turning in his head, just what had happened between these two in the Enchanted Forest.  
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Nearing the docks where his ship was docked, Hook jiggled Emma a bit. "You can stop pretending now love. Your charming parents are nowhere in sight and neither is the crocodile."

Cracking open one eye she squinted up at Hook, "You knew?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Open book, darling. And besides that piece of acting was just pitiful."

She grunted at him in disgust. If her arm wasn't in pain she would've decked him. Glancing around, "I thought you said we were going to your ship. Wait Hook, are you planning to drown..."

As his ship made it visible to her she glared up at him. "invisible ship huh. You just love drama don't you?"

He took her below deck to his cabin and gently sat her on his bed. "I knew you'd be in my bed one day, lass."

She tried to shove him away at his thigh with her uninjured arm but hewouldn't budge.

"You know what they say about men who constantly make sex jokes don't you? They're insecure about their manhood."

He smirked. "Care to test that theory?"

To his surprise she burst into laughter. "You just never stop do you? Like the energizer bunny, it keeps going and going." Matching his smirk, "You know those stupid lines don't work on me. Which begs the question why you keep at it." She tapped her chin with a finger pretending to be deep in thought. "You hide behind you're flirting. You use it as a distraction technique. Afraid to reveal your feelings to me?"

Hook straightened and took a step back from the bed. "Stay there while I go get something to clean your wounds."

"Open book!" Emma called after his retreating back.  
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Emma held on to one edge of his scarf while he wrapped the other end round and round her biceps. Quirking his eyebrows he said, "You know love, having you around is going to deplete my scarf collection and more importantly my rum."

"You want your old ugly one back?" She leaned away from him to grab her discarded jacket and rooted around in the pockets. Digging out the one he had wrapped around her bleeding hand back on the beanstalk, she shoved it at his chest. "Here take it back."

"You kept it on your person all this time?"

She blushed. "So what? I forgot about it actually. It's not like I knew you were going to come through."

He took the scarf and laid it around her neck. "Keep it darling. I don't mind losing my scarf to you."

Looking away from his knowing eyes, "Where's Cora?"

"Ahhh the real reason you consented to come with me instead of with your parents. Hate to disappoint you but I don't know. She has her own agenda."

Emma growled. "Don't I know it. I'm warning you Hook, go back to Neverland. You can't win against Gold and if you continue to work with Cora I will take you down."

"You can certainly try."

"We're done here." She shot him one last dirty look before opening the door to leave.

He slammed his Hook into the wood to shut it and she pivoted around in anger. Before she can say anything he leaned into her face, "This is only the beginning my little swan."

She shoved him away and stalked through the door to the sound of his chuckling.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma laid on the blanket and looked up at the starry sky, breathing in the night air. It felt like it was her first real breath of air in a long time. She never thought she would ever appreciate it but for the first time ever she was glad she was alone. Her family could be…..suffocating at times. Don't get her wrong, she was glad she had found them. They were probably the only good thing to ever happened in her life but she wasn't used to being accountable to anyone. Snow probing her for answers she didn't even have for herself felt like she was being cornered. And David. He wasn't as aggressive as Snow was, wanting to give her space but she could feel his eyes on her. Asking and expecting things she wasn't ready to give and somehow that was worse than Snow's head on tactic. The feeling that she would never be adequate enough, that she would always disappoint no matter what she did was creeping up again.

The sound of a weird tap tap cadence pulled her out of her reverie and she swiveled her head around to look at the intruder strolling up the road. Leave it to Gold to come to the one place she figured no one would dare.

"Ms. Swan."

Getting to her feet she asked, "What do you want?"

He smirked. "Interesting place to be, straddling the town border. Perhaps symbolic of you straddling the line between family and freedom?"

"Don't psychoanalyze me. Just tell me why you are here or I'll drive away and you won't get the chance to bother me tonight."

With that he lost his casual stance and dropped his ever present mocking grin. "I'm calling in the favor you owe me Ms. Swan."

Emma froze. Crap. No matter what she was not going to let Gold kill Hook. Damn the favor but she was not going to stand aside and be party to murder. It had nothing to do with Hook himself.

"I need you to find someone."

Staring at him in confusion she let out a sigh of relief. "Wait why do you need me to find anyone? Can't you just do your voodoo thing?"

"If it was that easy I wouldn't ask you would I? He's not in Storybrook."

"He? Oh I get it, you can't leave with your memories intact. Wait a second, how the hell do you know anyone outside of Storybrook?"

"You don't get to ask questions Sheriff. Just do as I say and we'll get on."

Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh no you don't. I don't care what favor I owe you. I'm not just going to follow your orders like a dog so think again. If you want me to find someone you better tell me who the hell he is and why you need to find him. I'm not going to go look for someone and lead them to you like a lamb to a slaughter."

"You think I want you to find someone so that I could kill them?" He laughed.

"I wouldn't put anything past you."

Gold paused for a long while contemplated but he knew Emma wouldn't budge. "Fine, his name is Baelfire and he's my son."

Emma waited for him to go on and when it became clear he wouldn't she spoke up. "You're going to have to give me more than that. What, am I supposed to google Baelfire and hope his Facebook page pops up? How old is the guy? What does he look like? When did he disappear from Storybrook? I thought no one could leave this place?"

"He was never in Storybrook to begin with. I don't know how old he is or what he looks like now. I haven't seen him for a very long time." He proceeded to briefly tell him his most private memories of Bae.

Emma wanted to jump on the old guy and pound his face into the dirt.

Gold read the anger on her face, "I thought you of all people would understand. Wouldn't you do anything for your son?"

Emma sighed. He had a point but he messed with her life. It was hard to empathize when you were on the losing side.

"So you don't know how old he is or what he looks like? How the hell am I supposed to find him and if I do, how would I know it's him? Is he even alive?"

Gold clenched his fists. "I would know if he was dead. Am I supposed to do everything for you? I have enchanted a cloak that will tell you if you have the right person but it won't lead you to him."

"You want me to find a guy in a world of 6 billion people, you don't know what he looks like or how old he is. Hell for all I know he could've decided he wanted to be a chick stripping in Vegas at this point" she muttered to herself.

Gold heard her anyway and gave a small smile. Leave it to Emma Swan to be irreverent even in the most serious moments. "You should start in the Northeast. The curse was designed to bring us as close to him as possible."

Emma gave him an annoyed look. "Oh right like that's so helpful. 28 years ago he was around here maybe. Cause we don't have cars and planes and people don't move around right? Ok so if he was 14 when you let him go like a stray cat, plus 28 years, he should be 42. At least that's a start. "

Gold was shaking his head before she had finished. "No, the curse moved through time and space. It got us close enough but I don't know how close. He's still in the Northeast. I know it. The curse was meant to be broken in 28 years so it took us close to where he would be now, not when he came through."

Emma rubbed her forehead. All the logistics was making her head hurt. "Operation Impossible" she muttered. "Look I'll try but there are no guarantees. You're not giving me a lot to work with here and I'm no magician."

"Try isn't good enough Ms. Swan. You cannot afford to fail."

Emma narrowed her eyes at him, "Or what? Are you threatening me?"

"No just stating a fact. You have a lot to lose now. There are people you care about. People you don't want to lose."

"Ok that's it buster. You've got some nerve. You blew up my life and just about the entire Fairy tale land, ask me to do you a favor by leaving my kid to go find yours and you want to threaten my family?"

Gold remained stoic.

"I'm not the only one with a weakness am I? Your son is out there, somewhere you can't get to but I can."

Gold laughed. "I like your daring attitude Ms. Swan. But you forget, I know your parents better than anyone here and I don't believe you have the fortitude to go through with any threats."

She scoffed. "I'm nothing like my parents, thanks to you and Regina. I'm not noble, or honorable or heroic so you might want to think again. You might have been able to play with my life back then by making me the so-called savior of your stupid curse but it ends there. You asked me if I would do anything for my son and you already know the answer. So go near Henry or my parents and you will never see your son."

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Emma slammed on the brake and let out a string of curses. Getting out of her car she yelled at him. "Are you crazy Hook? Do you have some insane desire to be road kill?"

Hook grinned at her then calmly walked over to the passenger side of her car and went in.

She ripped the door open, "Get out of my car. What do you think you're doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're going on a trip and I'm coming along for the ride."

"No you're not. I didn't invite you. Get out."

"Make me."

"You know nothing outside of Storybrook. Why the hell do you want to come with?"

He gave her a leering grin. "Why to spend some quality alone time with you my darling. It's a good thing I didn't come over with the curse. You and I are the only ones able to leave this town, think of the fun we could have!"

"You are so full of it. Somehow you know don't you?"

"Know what lassie?"

"I don't have time for this! You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'd be crazy to let you come along. I have to deliver his kid in one piece, alive. Find your own way to skin the crocodile."

Hook finally dropped his act. "You think I'd hurt Baelfire? That I'd hurt Milah's son?"

Emma frowned in confusion. "Milah's son? But I thought he was Gold's….." Emma trailed off. "She cheated on you with Gold?" Emma asked incredulously.

Hook laughed. "Please, you'd think any woman would want someone else after this?" he asked, gesturing with his hand to his body.

"Ohhhhhhh. She cheated on Gold with you." Suddenly it all became clear to Emma.

"I could be of some assistance you do realize. I've seen the boy and know what he looks like. I'm guessing you don't."

Emma snorted in disgust. "You know what he looks like as a kid. Well I do too, or at least I've seen a drawing of him. You'd be no help. Nice try though."

"I'd like to see you try to remove me from this seat."

"Give me a good reason why I should take you with me."

"If I stay in town I will go after Rumpelstiltskin."

"So? I don't care what happens to you."

"You sure gave a good imitation of it the other night. Why did you save me anyway?"

"I didn't."

He quirked his eyebrows in amusement. "You covered my body with yours."

"I was trying to dive for cover. Your not so impressive body just happened to be in my way."

"He was aiming for me" he told her disbelievingly.

"Excuse me for not knowing how magic fireballs work. For all I know it could've changed direction midair. Or expanded. Or ricocheted off your body to come back at me. Or maybe Gold throws like a girl and has bad aim."

He laughed and gave her a knowing look. She growled in frustration. "Fine, you can tag along but you do as I say every step of the way got it?"

"No worries, love. I have no problem giving a beautiful woman control every now and then."

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A/N: I know there wasn't a lot of Hook/Emma in this chapter but I needed to get the set up written. And coming up is Hook/Emma road trip and Hook navigating the real world.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So the beginning is a little meta but that's where the muse went so it couldn't be helped. Also I will keep the Manhattan part from the show but there's a side trip here before we get there.

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"Hook, will you stop playing with the damn radio?" she snapped at him. The guy was like a kid in the candy store. She had turned on music to distract him from asking her personal questions and making sexual remarks every other line. She figured 10 minutes of that and she would either kill him or kill herself. No way would she last all the way to DC. Of course showing him the wonder of modern day technology and music ended up backfiring on her. He just couldn't stick to one station and after hearing everything from Elvis to Katy Perry to Lil Wayne she was ready to cry uncle.

He finally stopped fiddling with the controls. "I like them."

"What? The Enemies? I like them too actually" Emma told him after recognizing the song playing.

"Might have known you'd be my savior. You saved this perfect stranger" he sang along softly to the tune.

"Not bad for a pirate."

"What?" he asked.

"Your voice." She paused then added, "I saw them once, playing at a bar. The guitarist was pretty hot."

"Hot?"

"As in good looking. I had some pretty wonderful dreams about him."

"Why dream, when you can have the real thing" he said pointing at himself, a little offended. "I'm sure I look better than this fellow of yours."

She laughed. That ego of his was just unbelievable.

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Spying a motel up ahead Emma did a little dance in her head. They had made it and she hadn't gone insane yet, and after 8 hours in a cramped space with Hook it was a miracle. She pulled up to the motel and parked.

"Give me your hook."

"Pardon?"

"Your hook. You can't go in there waving that thing around."

"And why is that?"

"Because that's not normal around these parts! Just trust me on this ok."

He twisted it off and handed it to her. "You better give it back darling. You can have other parts of me that would be far more enjoyable than my hook."

She shot him a glare before stomping off to reception.

"What do you mean you only have 1 room available?"

"Exactly what I said miss. We only have 1 room free, you can take it or leave. But I should warn you, there won't be another free room anywhere in the city. Cherry Blossom festival is going on."

"Fine we'll take it."

"It's also the honeymoon suite so it'll cost you a little more."

Emma groaned. Could things get any worse?

Glancing around the suite, apparently they could was her answer. A garish heart shaped bed draped in red satin sheets stared back at her. Side eyeing Hook, she saw that even he looked askance and it almost made her smile.

"Interesting décor you have in your world."

"I can't deal with this. I'm going to take a shower" she told him.

"Would you like me to wash your back?" He chuckled when all he got as a reply was the sound of a slammed door.

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Stepping out of the bathroom, rubbing her hair on the towel, her jaw dropped when she saw Hook.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm going to sleep."

"Not on that bed you're not. That's my bed."

"And where do you propose I sleep then? There's only 1 bed here and besides I'm not about to miss out on the experience of sleeping on a heart-shaped bed. And these sheets feel absolutely divine. I must get some for my ship."

"I don't give a damn what kind of sheets you like. You can sleep on the floor."

"No."

"No? I refuse to sleep with you."

"I haven't asked you to yet love. But feel free to ravish me."

She stomped her foot in frustration. "I'm not sleeping on that bed with you."

"Well the floor's free."

"I thought you said you were a gentleman."

"Oh I am. Which is why I won't touch you unless you ask nicely. Come on Emma, this bed is big enough for the both of us." With that he flung aside the sheets and patted the bed.

"You're naked!" she screeched.

"That's generally how I sleep" he told her a little amused at her reaction.

"Not this time you're not."

"I'm not sleeping in my clothes. They make me look good but not exactly comfortable to sleep in."

She almost slapped herself silly for not realizing this sooner. The guy didn't bring a suitcase, ergo no other clothes, much less pajamas. She was going to have to take him shopping but in the meantime. She marched over to her suitcase and dug through the pile of clothes. Finally finding another pair of baggy sweats and t-shirt, she threw both at him.

"There, you can wear those. They're big enough so it'll fit."

He picked them up in distaste. "I'm not wearing women's clothing and you shouldn't wear these either lass. They're plain ugly. You should be draped in silk and lace to compliment your loveliness."

"I'm not here for your viewing pleasure, Hook. Those sweats are unisex and comfy and you're gonna wear them if you want to sleep on that bed."

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"Emma.

Emma.

Emma."

"What?" She finally growled over her shoulder. They were now both in bed and Emma was hugging the sides, an inch away from falling over.

"I forgot to thank you for the clothes. They smell like you, just heavenly. It almost feels like I have you on my skin."

She punched the pillow next to her head imagining it was his pretty face she was beating to a pulp. Even without turning around she knew he was smirking, it was in his voice. Just ignore him she told herself and he will shut up.

A little while later, Hook heard Emma whimpering and thrashing around. He flipped over and saw that tears were streaming down her face. Leaning over he grabbed her shoulders and shook her awake. "Emma wake up! Wake up!"

Emma jack-knifed up in bed and next thing he knew she threw her arms tightly around his neck and pushed her face in between his neck and shoulders. Cautiously he moved his own arms around her small frame but that movement must've fully woken her up because she sat back and leaped away from him.

Rubbing at her eyes she muttered, "Sorry."

"No need. Must've been some nightmare."

She flopped back down and turned away from him once more.

"Want to talk about it?" After a deafening silence as an answer he laid back down. No surprise there, she was locked up tighter than a pirate's treasure chest.

"When I was 10 and living with the Adams here in DC, their son tried to teach me how to swim. Except he thought it'd be funny to hold my head under the water, letting me think I was going to drown."

Hook seethed at hearing this. He was going to find this Adams boy and tear him limb from limb. Why he should feel such rage on her 10 year old behalf, he wasn't going to look too closely.

"I'll teach you how to swim" he told her softly.

"I already know how. When I turned 15 I took control of my own life. No more foster homes for me. I snuck down to the beach at night when there was no one around and taught myself."

Hook grinned to himself in the dark. Atta girl he thought. That was his swan alright, brave and fearless even in her foolishness. He didn't want to think about the dangers of the water at night for a novice swimmer however.

He turned over to his side, facing her back. "I met Milah when Baelfire was just 10. The kid came looking for her at the local tavern."

Emma turned around to face him.

"She would talk about him sometimes. Not often but enough for me to know she missed him. But she couldn't go back, her old life was killing her she said. Either way sooner or later he wouldn't have his mom. She would've withered and died as that coward's wife."

"You didn't care."

"About the boy? No I didn't. Milah was happy with me and I was too. I don't care that it was selfish. No one is going to give you happiness, you have to take it for yourself."

"No matter the consequences?"

"She didn't deserve to die. Not by his hand."

"No she didn't." Emma paused, deep in thought. "So why did you want to come? What do you want with Baelfire?"

"To see a piece of Milah still breathing and alive."

"That's it? Pull the other leg Hook."

"And I want him to know what that coward did to Milah."

"You want to turn him against his father" she said seeing through his plan.

"I would only be telling the truth!"

"Would it finally make you happy? Your revenge?"

"It's all I have left."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys!

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Hook looked around in wonder. Apparently they were at a place called the mall. Nothing was interesting to him until he spied a whole counter full of jewelry at the department store they were at.

"Hello lovely lady, what have you got here?"

The woman fluttered her eyelashes at him. This was her lucky day. The guy was seriously a hunk.

"What can I do for you sir? Trust me I can help you with anything you want" she said slyly.

Just then someone beckoned her and while she turned her back, Hook took that moment to swipe a couple of rings off the counter.

Emma looked around searching for Hook. She felt a tap on her shoulder and whirled around to see a smug looking Hook behind her. "Where the hell were you? Didn't I tell you to follow me and not leave my side?" She seriously contemplated getting a leash for his ass like parents do with their little ones.

She glanced suspiciously over her shoulders and took in the jewelry counter then looked back at his face and groaned.

"Hey hey what are you doing? Getting a little frisky, love?"

She patted him down and then digging into his pants pocket, and believe her, it was a tight fit, she dug out the rings. "Hook you can't go around stealing! Ever heard of prison?"

"I'm too good to get caught. The woman didn't notice a thing."

She rolled her eyes. "They have cameras and alarms here. No matter how sexy your grin is, the camera won't give a damn, got that? Besides these are fake rings, they don't have too much value anyway."

"So you think I'm sexy? Finally she admits it!"

"This is what we're going to do you kleptomaniac, you go back and distract that woman while I put these back."

While listening to Hook flirt with the sales lady Emma rolled her eyes so many times she was afraid they would fall out. How anyone could ever fall for his stupid cheesy pickup lines she'll never know. She jerked her head to indicate they should get going but he smiled knowingly and subtly shook his head in a no gesture.

Walking around to the other side of the counter she draped herself all over Hook. "Killian honey, we've wasted enough time here, let's get going."

Hook raised his eyebrows at her. "Yes my love, I do believe our bed back home is beckoning." Picking up the sales lady hands he placed an air kiss on it, "My life is now fuller to have known you, Susan."

As they walked away, Emma punched him in the stomach. "Can you be any cruder?"

"Jealous?"

She snorted. "As if, now come on. We need to get you clothes and get out of here."

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She gaped at him. "Listen you Mick Jagger wannabe, for the thousandth time, you can't go strutting around in leather pants and billowy shirts flashing your chest to the whole world ok. Now just pick something damn it."

He had spent the entire time rejecting her choices of jeans and tees critiquing them like he was Meryl Streep from the Devil Wears Prada.

"This material is cheaply made, Emma. I can't have that on my body. And this! You want me to wear green? That color makes me look sickly. This is a travesty!"

Finally fed up, Emma stalked around like a mad woman, picking up things here and there and then shoved the whole lot at him. She pointed towards an opening in the wall, "Go try these on."

He tried on the clothes and while they felt weird, looking at himself in the mirror he had to say they made him look quite dapper. Nowhere near his own clothes of course but yes now he blended in like the men he saw walking around the mall.

"Well, what do you think?"

Emma looked at Hook in the jeans and button down and gulped. He looked pretty good, not that she was ever going to admit it. If his ego got any bigger he'd be crushed under their weight.

He walked over to her and touched the corner of her mouth. "You were drooling, Emma."

She shoved his hand away and rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, and by the way those jeans make your butt look huge."

"Nice of you to notice them" he called to her as she stalked off.

As Emma forked over a bunch of green paper at the man behind the counter she gave him a dirty look. "You're going to owe me buddy. That's about 2 weeks worth of my salary."

"What are they?"

"It's called money. Kinda like gold, where you exchange them when you want to buy stuff."

Once they got back to her car, he turned her towards him and slipped a chain with a ring hanging on the end over her head.

"What are you doing?"

"Paying you back of course."

She recognized the ring as one of the ones he had on his finger. "I can't take your ring and anyway it's probably worth far more than what I paid."

He stopped her as she made a move to remove the chain. "Well of course. Anything I have is worth its weight in gold. But keep the ring. It was my mother's. She said the moonstone was supposed to keep the owner safe on land and sea but you see how well that worked out for me."

Emma was quiet. "It feels wrong to take your mother's ring."

He looked away from her, uncomfortable with the expression in her eyes. "Don't be foolish, I gave it to you in exchange for these clothes. That's all. No real pirate lets a wench pay his way. Besides it looks better on you than on my finger. Peach washes out my complexion."

"And where did you get the chain to put this on? I hope you didn't steal it" she grumbled, desperate to dispel the tension around them.

"The chain was yours, you wouldn't be able to wear my ring since it's too big. And I told you I was good, you didn't even realize it was gone."

Emma looked down. "What happened to my pendant?"

"I threw it away. It was cheap and worthless anyhow. It wasn't even real silver."

"You threw away my swan pendant? You jerk!" She punched him in the shoulder, threw open the car door and threw herself in.

"Emma, I'm sorry. Did it mean something to you? I will go retrieve it if you wish." As he made a move to walk away she grabbed his wrist.

"Don't bother, you're right. It was worthless and it's time I let it go."

He stared at her for a moment longer, knowing she was lying.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Hook looked around, bewildered. If he didn't know any better, this could be a scene right out of Neverland. Kids were running around screaming like banshees but they weren't the Lost Boys, he thought fondly. There were little girls here too and adults were around, so not lost after all. They weren't any less savage however, he thought to himself.

Emma came up to the table he had staked out for them and set down a tray loaded with food he presumed. It was hard to tell since it didn't look like any food he'd ever seen.

"Here, eat."

He looked at the burgers and fries and something she swore was chicken, dubiously.

"What?" Emma asked as she chowed down on her own burger.

"It doesn't look edible."

"You are such a snob. Look you can't get any more American or real world than McDonalds so eat."

He managed to finish about half of it before pushing it away. Emma looked at him, "You're not going to finish that?"

"I think not. I believe my stomach is now protesting."

Emma shrugged and picked up his uneaten portion and managed to polish it off in record time. "What?" she asked spying him staring at her liked she'd grown a third head.

"You eat more than Smee and even he's more finicky about what passes through his stomach than you. How are you so skinny?"

"Hey didn't anyone tell you it's not gentlemanly to comment on a woman's weight? I learned a long time ago not to waste food when you have it cause you never know when the next meal will come."

As soon as the words were out of Emma's mouth she wanted to kick herself. She didn't what it was about Hook that made her forget to filter her words around him.

* * *

In one of the promotional pictures of Hook you can see that he wears 3 rings, one on his thumb, the red one and one with an orangish/peach colored gemstone. Not sure what it is but in my head it's a peach moonstone just cause I like it's meaning.


End file.
